The Return of the Talented Monopolist is Special

“Who do you think you’re going to make a servant?” “Are you kidding? Us?”

Ains clenched his fist tightly, reacting as if he had heard the most disgraceful words. It seemed like he was about to punch Rauller and Eugene right then and there.

But then, Janes stepped in front of Ains to stop him.

“Kid, what are you thinking? The only people you have to rely on are your merchant father or your mother who ran away from the Pendcell family, right?”

Eugene secretly smirked.

‘He doesn’t respond to my words and instead provokes with his parents… still, Janes, the older brother, is a bit calmer.’

However.

‘It’s good that he’s calm, but insulting parents is a bit too much.’

Eugene put on an angry expression and spoke.

“Did you just insult my parents and mention my family?”

“Say whatever you want. What are you going to do about it? Heh heh.”

“Insulting parents is one thing, but insulting noble families is a serious crime.”

“Oh really? How will you prove it and punish me?”

“I have a witness, so it’s possible to prove it.”

Janes laughed loudly.

“Is my brother and your friend the witnesses? My brother is on my side. Who would believe your friend’s testimony? You must be an idiot.”

“No, neither Rauller nor your brother are witnesses.”

“…Then who is the witness?”

Eugene smirked.

“I have someone you’ll be very scared of.”

He grabbed the wooden sword Rauller was holding and threw it at Ains’ chest.

“I told you I’d make you a servant, right?”

“You crazy bastard, do you want to die—”

“I’ll make you pay for insulting my family.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Eugene swung his spear toward Ains’ calf.

*Thud!*

“Ugh…!”

Ains staggered, swallowing his scream.

But immediately, he raised the wooden sword and took a combat stance.

“This bastard…! Can you handle this? Violence is a different matter than insulting a family!”

“You have a good reason for insulting my family and parents. Don’t worry. There’s a witness too.”

“A witness? Where is this supposed witness…? Fine, I’ll make sure to turn you into a mess now!”

Ains’ forearm bulged.

Thanks to years of bodyweight and weight training, Ains’ strength was far beyond that of a typical early teen boy.

*Wham!*

Ains swung the wooden sword down.

At the same time, Eugene lifted his spear and blocked it.

*Clang!*

Eugene was a little surprised inwardly.

‘Oh, his strength isn’t bad.’

What had looked like decorative muscle turned out to have decent speed and power, probably because he was a direct descendant of the Pendcell family. If he were an average person, that strike would have likely shattered bones.

Of course.

‘But it’s still a bit weak.’

Eugene wasn’t satisfied.

With that kind of bad personality, he should have shown much more power to match it.

Then he might have considered taking him as an ally.

But Ains’ strength wasn’t that impressive.

“Not good enough.”

“What?”

Eugene took a step back and, instead of being defensive, asked, “From now on, you’ll start losing muscle. Is that alright?”

“You crazy bastard, that’s a forbidden word—”

While he was speaking, Eugene jumped up and over Ains’ head in an instant, swinging his spear down.

“Head.”

*Thud!*

Ains screamed as the spear struck his crown directly.

“AAARGH!”

Furious, he swung the wooden sword upward, but Eugene had already moved behind him.

“Does it hurt?”

“You… sneaky bastard—”

While Ains was speaking, Eugene swung his spear again.

“Head.”

*Thwack!*

He hit the exact same spot as before.

“AAAHH!”

Ains grabbed his head with his left hand, the pain sending chills down his spine. Yet, he managed to keep a grip on his sword.

“Are you getting frustrated?”

“You son of a—!”

Ains yelled, gripping his wooden sword tightly again. His expression had changed.

“Do you know why we, the Pendcell family, are considered such promising candidates?”

“Promising candidates? I didn’t know.”

Eugene shrugged, pretending to be unaware, but he was slightly impressed by Ains’ previous actions.

‘The spot I just hit on his head is a pressure point where mana circuits pass through, so it must’ve hurt like hell, but he still didn’t drop his sword.’

It seemed like he wasn’t just strong physically but also had a lot of mental endurance.

Eugene grinned, enjoying the fight.

“We’re strong enough without using aura!”

*Crack!*

As Ains tightened his grip on the wooden sword, a sound like snapping twigs was heard.

He was clearly preparing to put more strength into his attack. A weapon infused with power naturally becomes faster.

*Thud!*

Ains, his eyes now deadly serious, lunged forward, closing the distance in front of Eugene.

‘Fast.’

Eugene was impressed for a moment.

*Whoosh!*

Ains’ sword swung horizontally—

It was blocked by Eugene’s spear.

*Clang!*

But Eugene couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘Is that some kind of unsealing?’

The point where the sword met the spear was now shallowly indented. It seemed like Ains’ strength had increased significantly.

Eugene’s sharp gaze analyzed Ains closely. Even though he didn’t use aura, his power had definitely tripled or even quadrupled.

‘How is this possible?’

One moment passed.

“Heh.”

Eugene’s expression subtly brightened.

‘As expected, it’s Pendcell. There are a lot of geniuses there.’

And the more that happened, the more.

‘This is way too fun. He’s not someone to be underestimated just because he’s a kid.’

His blood was boiling.

“Ugh!”

Ains, almost half-mad, swung his sword with all his might toward Eugene.

*Whoosh! Thud! Whoosh! Thud! Thud!*

Eugene managed to dodge most of the dozen or so strikes in an instant, but he blocked three of them with his spear. The spear was on the verge of breaking.

“Pant, pant…!”

Ains was breathing heavily, clearly having exerted a lot of effort.

In contrast,

“The spear’s going to break at this rate. You’re relentless.”

“Shut up, you shrimp!”

“Shrimp?”

Ains yelled and swung his sword fiercely. Eugene stepped back, avoiding it.

At that moment, Ains’ eyes widened.

*Swish.*

Eugene’s clothes brushed against the wooden sword, and half of them were torn. In that instant, Ains saw Eugene’s body.

“Y-You… insane…”

There were no visible traces of body fat—his abs were clearly defined, and veins ran across his body. His entire body was covered in numerous scars, as if from countless battles.

“Pant…”

Even Raul, who had been watching from a distance, couldn’t help but gasp.

“What’s up with his body…?”

It was hard to believe this was the body of a 12-year-old child.

*Click.*

Eugene clicked his tongue lightly and gripped his spear again.

“You’re not a shrimp… a true maniac when it comes to physical training, huh?”

“Shrimp or whatever, come here!”

*Pop!*

Eugene instantly closed the distance and moved his spear.

This time,

*Stab!*

It wasn’t the head—it was the solar plexus.

“Gah…”

With the spear plunged into his solar plexus, Ains fell backward, muttering.

“You kept hitting my head… why now…”

Ains’ eyes glazed over as he passed out.

Just then, something swooped toward Eugene from behind.

Eugene sensed it instinctively.

‘An ambush.’

This was something he had experienced countless times in his training with the archery master. Every time he thought it was over, the master would suddenly strike his back when he least expected it.

“YAAH!”

The surprise attack aimed at Eugene’s head by Jane’s wooden sword—

“What’s this, huh?”

Was nothing.

*Thud!*

Eugene turned around and grabbed Jane’s wooden sword, his eyes glowing with a cold, ominous light.

“Pant…”

Jane instinctively took a step back.

Even Ains, who had used all his strength, was defeated in one strike. Jane’s will was already broken at that moment.

Eugene wrenched the sword from Jane’s grip, holding it upside down as he smirked.

“Now it’s your turn?”

In that moment, both Raul, who had been an ally, and Jane, who was retreating, as well as the ‘witness’ watching from a high vantage point, could not help but feel a chill run down their spines from Eugene’s overwhelming presence.

Raul, mouth agape, recalled Eugene’s actions from just moments ago.

‘Did the spear really defeat the sword?’

Or,

‘Is Eugene just that strong?’

* * *

At the top floor of the Pendcell mansion…

A man stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing down silently from the window.

Beside him was the head butler of the Pendcell family, reporting the situation.

“First, your children have arrived, and the five others are on their way.”

The man nodded slowly.

“Alright.”

A subtle smile played on his lips as he responded.

“Raul and Eugene, was it? How old are they?”

“Yes, Raul is 14 years old, and Eugene is 12.”

“Hmm.”

The man did not ask any further questions. Instead, he replayed the sounds of the recent battle and conversation in the training room in his mind.

– …So, who’s the witness?

– There is. Someone you’ll be really afraid of.

The man, Jade Pendcell, had reached the 10th level of mastery and could vividly picture everything that had happened inside the training room with his inner sight. Eugene’s movements with his spear, the sight of the two twin brothers being knocked down, even the sound of Jane’s screaming voice.

Jade Pendcell smiled faintly.

“Well, this should be interesting.”

At that moment.

*Knock knock.*

“Enter.”

A man stepped in and saluted stiffly.

“I greet the head of the family.”

“What is it?”

“I’m sorry to bring this up, but it seems there was a dispute among the children.”

Jade’s second son, Sirius Pendcell, gritted his teeth as he spoke.

He was referring to the incident that had just happened in the training room.

“It seems my sons lost to a boy named Eugene in a sparring match.”

He was concerned about the fact that the Ince brothers had been beaten.

Jade’s brows furrowed.

“You’re glossing over the details.”

“…I said less because I’m ashamed.”

To be more precise about what had happened in the training room:

The Ince brothers had started the fight with Eugene, and Eugene had decisively won.

But Sirius had concealed several facts, only sharing part of the story.

Jade’s expression hardened.

“So, what are you trying to say?”

“The Trial of the Lion is approaching. But the children are suffering from the pain. We must punish Eugene, the boy who has put them in such a state with a mere sparring match…”

“Enough.”

Jade’s voice deepened, filled with authority.

“A-A father…”

Sirius, also a high-ranking knight who had reached the 8th level, could not gather himself in front of Jade.

“My son.”

“Yes, father.”

“Do you think I don’t know what happened in the training room?”

“….”

Sirius clamped his mouth shut.

Of course, Jade knew.

10th level.

The figure, described as having reached the level of a demi-god rather than just a human, surely wouldn’t be oblivious to what was happening across the building, would he?

That was out of the question.

However, Sirius was frustrated because his sons had been so severely beaten and the consequences of that were now unavoidable.

‘Ains, Janes… I don’t care that my sons are hurt. Children grow up by fighting. But…’

What he could not tolerate was something else.

‘The Trial of the Lion is a different matter entirely.’

He could bear the fact that his sons had been beaten, but what made Sirius especially sensitive was that the Ince brothers were facing the Trial of the Lion soon.

As an official member of the Pendcell family, the trial was a golden opportunity for them to receive recognition, support, and to greatly elevate their family’s honor.

“Ains and Janes were the ones who started the fight with Eugene, that much is true. But…”

Sirius said in a heavy voice.

“That boy used his aura. Within the family, unless it’s an official duel, using the aura is forbidden.”

“Aura?”

“Yes. He disregarded the Pendcell family’s rules. Punishment is inevitable.”

Sirius was certain.

Even though Ains had maximized his physical strength, and Janes had joined in, Eugene still won.

No, it wasn’t just a win—he had knocked both of them unconscious.

To anyone watching, it seemed like Eugene had used some sort of exceptional power to overwhelm the Ince brothers.

Without that, this situation could not be explained.

At that, Jade quietly closed his eyes and spoke.

“Eugene didn’t use his aura.”

“…!”

Sirius, surprised, silently clenched his fist.

He couldn’t believe it, but the words of his father, a being who had reached the level of a demi-god, were law, truth, and reality.

“Rather, it should have been your two sons who used the aura. Cowardly fools.”

“Father…!”

Sirius dared not challenge his father, Jade, but his anger was now directed entirely at Eugene.

Although he had yet to meet Eugene in person, the thought of the boy who dared touch the eldest direct heir of the Pendcell family made him want to strike him on sight.

“Leave.”

“…Yes.”

As a father, a child’s reputation was synonymous with the father’s honor.

Sirius ground his teeth as he turned to leave the room.

‘These useless children… I need to make them stronger. So they will never kneel before anyone.’

He knew the way.

‘It’s still early, but… if I use that…’